Portable fence-machine



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PORTABLE FBNGB MACHINE. g0, Patented Dec. 23, 1884.

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PORTABLE FENCE MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 23, 1884.

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Unitas Saran J AOOB MTDDAUGH AND CHARLES M. XVILOOX, OF NEWV PARIS, OHIO.

PORTABLE FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,724, dated December 23, 1884;

Application filed August 11, 1884. (N0 model.) A

To aZZ whom, it may concern- Be it known that we, JACOB Mrnnnucrr and CHARLES M. WILcox, both of New Paris, in the county of Preble and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fencing-Machines and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved machine for building fences. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the same in position for operation. Fig. 3 is a front view of the machine. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same and of the tension-bar in position for operation. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine in position for operation. Fig. 6 is a horizontal'sectional View taken on the lines m .90 in Figs. 2 and 4, and Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view of one of the twisting wheels or disks.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to machines for building or constructing that class of fences which are known as wire-and-picket fences, and which consist of pickets or palings connected by twisted or woven wire; and our invention has for its object to provide a machine of this character which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and

general efficiency, and which may be easily manipulated by any farm-hand for the purpose of constructing a fence in the desired position.

The invention comprises, essentially, a twisting device having an adjustable gage and a palings-tightener, and a tension device through which the wires are fed to the twister.

The invention further consists in the improved construction and arrangement of details, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, A designates the twisting device, which comprises a frame-bar, B, one side of which is provided with a bearing for a transverse shaft, G, having an operating crank or handle, D, at its rear end, and provided at its front end with a spur-wheel, E. The frame-bar B is provided with a series of transverse openings, F F, provided with bell-shaped tubular spindles G G, upon which are mounted a series of wheels or disks, H H, the inner or rear ends of which are provided with teeth or gears I, meshing together, as shown. One of the said gear wheels or disks meshes with the spurwheel E, so that by revolving the latter a rotary motion may be imparted to the entire series of disks H. The latter are retained in position upon their respective spindles by means of set-screws I working in circumfer-- ential grooves J in the said spindles. Each of the disks H is provided upon its front side with a transverse bar or cross-piece, K, having a series of openings, L L, from which diagonal slits M extend to the edges of the said cross piece or bar. The wires are in practice to be threaded through two of the said openings which are equidistant from the center of the bar, and when desiredfor instance, for the purpose of weaving in palings of a different size-the said wires may be re moved from the openings in which they have been first placed, through the slits M, and adjusted in other openings without necessity for cutting the wires. It will also be noticed that the openings L are of sufficient size to admit of the passage of splices in the wires whenever they may occur. One side of the frame-bar B is provided near its upper and lower ends with forwardly-extending arms or brackets N N, which are provided with horizontal slots 0, to receive the set-screws P, by means of which the adjustable gage-plates Q are secured to the said arms or brackets. The said gage-plates consist simply of plates, the forward ends of which are provided with laterally-extending fingers R, the function of which will be presently made clear.

The arms or brackets N N are provided near their inner ends with lateral outwardly-extending lugs S S, forming bearings for the upper and lower ends of a vertical rock-shaft, T, having a handle, U, and arms V V, connected by a frame-bar, W.

The arms V and the handle U constitute the tightening device, the operation of which will be presently explained.

The frame-bar B is provided near its lower end with a step, X, adapted to support the last paling inserted while it is being woven into the panel, thus causing all the palings to be set evenly as to height. The lower end of frame-bar Bis provided with a wheel or caster, Y, upon which it may be readily moved during the process of constructing the fence, and which will also serve as a pivot upon which the frame-bar may turn in a horizontal plane, and the rear side of the frame-bar is provided with a handle, Z, by means of which it may be conveniently manipulated.

A designates the tension-bar, which con sists of a rod or bar of wood, metal, or other suitable material of about the same length as the frame-bar B, and provided at its upper and lower ends with swiveled plates B B, to which are attached the ends of a chain or rope, C, which may during operation be suitably attached, by means of an additional rope or chain, 1), to a stake, post, or other fixed point, E, which, as it should be in the line of the fence, may be one of the fenceposts. The tension-bar is provided with a series of screwthreaded perforations, ll" F, registering with the openings F in the frame-bar 1-3. The ends of the perforations F facing the said framebar are countersunk, as at G, to receive the conical washers H, which are retained in position by means of set-screws 1, between the heads of which and'the said washers coiled springs J are interposed, for the purpose of supplying a yielding pressure, the tension of which may be regulated by tightening or loos ening the said set-screws.

Adjoining each of the openings F in the bar A are formed two small orifices, K, for the purpose of admitting the fence-wires. These orifices terminate in the countersinks G, so that the wires shall pass under the conical washers II, which latter may be adjusted in the manner described, so as to supply any desired degree of tension.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The wires are first threaded through the perforations in the tension-bar under the conical washers, which latter are at first so adjusted as to permit the wires to pass through freely. The ends of the wires are next passed through the perforations F and spindles G of the framebar 15, and through the proper perforations of the cross-bars K of the twisting-disks H, after which they are suitably attached to the end post of the fence. The tension-bar is now suitably anchored to one of the fence posts, or to some other fixed point, a sufficient quantity of wire being unwound from the spools. One of the pickets or palings is now adjusted between the wires and several turns given to the shaft 0, carrying the spurwheel E, whereby the several twisting-wheels are rotated and the wires twisted so as to bind the paling securely in position. It will be noticed that the paling while being operated upon is supported upon the step X of the frame-bar, and that each paling operated upon is likewise supported so that all will be set at an even height. The machine is now moved slightly back and another paling placed in po sition and tightened up against the first twist by means of the tightening-frame T U V \V, which is simply swung or moved laterally by means of its handle, so as to force the paling up against the twist. The shaft 0, carrying the spur-wheel E, is now turned several times in a direction opposite to that in which it was last turned, thus twisting the wires so as to secure the paling, and at the same time untwisting the wires back of the machine. This operation is repeated until the first'panel has been formed. The tension is then tightened and a few palings placed or woven in position so as to take up any slack from the first panel. The wires are then stapled to post No. 2, and the tension may afterward be readily adj usted so that the feed of wire shall be properly regulated. After a few palings or pickets have been placed in position the gage-plates Q are adjusted so that the fingers It shall rest against one of the said palings during operation. \Vhen the paling last operated upon has been secured, the machine is, by taking hold of the handle, swung horizontally so as to release the fingers B, after which the machine is moved back until the said fingers shall engage the next paling, when the operation is repeated.

It is obvious that the gage-plates may be adjusted so as to leave any desired space between the palings.

This machine, as will be seen, is exceedingly simple in construction, and it is therefore not liable to get out of order. It may be con-- strueted at a moderate expense, and with it a durable and attractive fence maybe constructed rapidly, easily, and at a small expense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A portable machine for constructing wireand-picket fences, comprising a framebar mounted upon a single wheel or caster, and having a series of twisting-wheels geared together and adapted to be operated by means of a spur-wheel meshing with one of the said twisting-wheels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a portable machine for constructing wire-aud-picket fences, the combination, with a fran1e-bar having a series of tubular bellshaped spindles, of a series of twisting-wheels geared together and mounted upon the said spindles, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a portable fencing-machine, the combination, with a frame-bar having tubular spindles, of the twistingwheels mounted upon the same, and provided at their front ends with cross-bars having perforations or orifices from which diagonal slits extend to the edges of the said bars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4-. In a portable fencing-machine, the combination of a frame-bar, a series of twisting wheels mounted on the same upon tubular spindles and geared together, and a step arranged near the lower end of the said framebar for the purpose of supporting the palings or pickets while being operated upon, substantially as set forth.

5. In a portable fencing-machine, the combination of a frame-bar having a series of twisting-wheels mounted upon tubular spindles, and provided with forwardlyextending horizontally-slotted arms,witl1' gage-plates secured adjustably to the said arms and provided with laterally-extending fingers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a portable fencing-machine, the combination of a frame-bar having a series of twisting-wheels mounted upon tubular spindles, and provided with forwardlyextending arms having laterallyextending lugs, with arock-shaft mounted in the said lugs and having a suitable handle, and a pair of arms connected by a frame-bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a portable fencing-machine, the herein-describcd framebar having a series of perforations and tubular spindles, the twistingwheels mounted upon the same and geared together, a spur-wheel mounted upon a crankshaft and meshing. with one of the twistingwhcels,a step at the lowerend ol'the said framebar, arms extending forwardly from the said frame-bar, and having adjustable gage-p1ates and lugs supporting a pivoted tighteningframe, and a wheel or caster atthe lower end of the said frame-bar, all arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

S. In a portable feneingmachine, the combination, with the twisting apparatus, constructed substantially as described, of a tension-bar provided at its upper andlower ends with swiveled plates connected by a rope or chain, whereby the said tension-bar may be connected securely to a fixed point during operation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a portable fencing-machine, the here in-described tension bar, having a series of screw-threaded perforations countersunk at their outer ends, smaller orifices adjoining the said perforations and terminatingin the countersinks of the latter, conical washers fitting in the said countersinks, set-screws working in the screw-threaded perforations, and coiled springs interposed between the washers and the heads of the set-screws, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. A portable fencing-machine comprising a twisting device having a series of twistingwheels mounted upon tubular spindles, and constructed and meshed together as described, a supporting-step, an adjustable gage, and a pivoted tightening-frame, and a tension-bar having countersunk perforations, conical washers, orifices for the passage of the fence-wires, tightening-screws. and springs bearing against the washers, all constructed, combined, and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein shown and specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereunto aftixed our signa tures in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB MIDDAUGH. CHAR-LES M. VVILOOX.

W'itnesses: I

F. S. RIOHEY, L. W. Ricnnv. 

